Province funding additional bus service for SD 71

Families in the Comox Valley school district (SD 71) will benefit from improved transportation services, thanks to $421,375 in funding under the new provincial Student Transportation Fund.

Comox Valley MLA Don McRae announced Thursday, on behalf of Education Minister Mike Bernier, that the school district will use the new funding to:

* Ensure the district doesn’t have to charge bus fees for eligible student bus riders.

* Provide an additional school bus for students, for extra-curricular activities.

“Parents and students will welcome this funding,” MacRae said. “It will keep more money in parents’ pockets and give our students extra-curricular transportation that will allow them to get the most out of their school year.”

The new $14.7-million Student Transportation Fund was announced in August 2016 to help school districts provide affordable and accessible transportation for British Columbia families.

To be eligible for funding, school districts had to submit a plan to the Ministry of Education outlining how they will use the funding to enhance

transportation services for students and families. The amount of funding for which a district is eligible is based on a formula tied to the

ministry’s student-location factor, which is used to determine the rural makeup of a school district.